Lassie Dear came from a family line of excellent broodmares. After a successful racing career, she upheld the family tradition with honor and in the process played a substantial role in the racing and breeding fortunes of William S. Kilroy and his frequent partner, William S. Farish of Lane's End Farm.

Race record

26starts, 5wins, 3seconds, 5thirds, US$80,549

1976:

Won Villager Stakes (USA-III, 8f+70yD, Keystone)

2nd Schuykill Stakes (USA, 6FD, Keystone)

1977:

Won Marica Handicap (USA, 6.5FD, Hawthorne)

3rd Mata Hari Handicap (USA, 6.5FD, Hawthorne)

Assessments

Rated at 106 pounds on the Experimental Free Handicap for American juveniles of 1976, 13 pounds below champion Sensational.

Rated at 110 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American sprinters of 1977, 18 pounds below champion What a Summer (a 4-year-old filly).

As an individual

A bay mare, Lassie Dear was delicate and feminine.

As a producer

Lassie Dear produced 13 named foals. 12 started and won. Her important foals are as follow:

Weekend Surprise (1980, by Secretariat) was a multiple Grade III winner as a juvenile and was Grade I-placed at 2 and 4. The 1992 Kentucky Broodmare of the Year, she produced four stakes winners, headed by 1992 American Horse of the Year A.P. Indy (by Seattle Slew) and 1990 Preakness Stakes (USA-I) winner Summer Squall (by Storm Bird). Her branch of the family continues to breed on.

Lassie's Lady (1981, by Alydar) was stakes-placed on the track. She produced 1989 Sanford Stakes (USA-II) winner Bite the Bullet (by Spectacular Bid) and English stakes winner Shuailaan (by Roberto). She is also the second dam of 2008 European Horse of the Year Duke of Marmalade, 2013 Derby Stakes winner and multiple European highweight Ruler of the World and Grade III winner Madison's Charm. In addition, she is the third dam of Grade II winners Travelin Man and Discreet Dancer and 2018 Runhappy Metropolitan Mile Handicap (USA-I) winner Bee Jersey.

Spectacular Spy (1982, by Spectacular Bid) won two listed stakes. He was exported to Australia for stud duty.

Al Mufti (1985, by Roberto) was Group II-placed in Europe and Group I-placed in South Africa. The sire of 51 stakes winners, he led the South African general sire list in 1999/2000 and was among the top 10 South African general sires on another nine occasions.

Lassie Connection (1986, by Seattle Slew) produced multiple listed stakes winner Winning Connection (by St. Jovite) and is the second dam of four stakes winners including Canadian Grade III winner Fortuitous.

Deerhound (1988, by Danzig) was indifferent both on the track and in the stud but did sire one outstanding horse in 1997 American champion 2-year-old filly Countess Diana.

Wolfhound (1989, by Nureyev) was a Group I winner in both England and France and was the highweighted older male sprinter in England in 1993. He was an extremely disappointing sire.

Foxhound (1991, by Danzig) won the 1993 Prix La Fleche and placed in three Group III races.

Connections

Foaled in Kentucky, Lassie Dear was bred by Mrs. George F. Getty II. She was purchased by William S. Kilroy for US$76,000 at the 1975 Keeneland summer sale. Lassie Dear was trained by Del W. Carroll. Following her racing career, Kilroy traded a half interest in Lassie Dear to William S. Farish for a half-interest in the mare Bold Bikini, later the dam of European Classic winner Law Society.

Pedigree notes

Lassie Dear is outcrossed through five generations. She is a half sister to 1979 French champion older male Gay Mecene (by Vaguely Noble) and to stakes winners Gallapiat (by Buckpasser) and Gallanta (by Nureyev). Gallanta, in turn, is the dam of 1994 Shadwell Stud Cheveley Park Stakes (ENG-I) winner Gay Gallanta (by Woodman) and of Irish Group II winner Sportsworld (by Alleged), a successful sire in South Africa. She is also the second dam of five stakes winners including English Group II winners Al Jadeed and Byron. In addition, Lassie Dear is a half sister to Dry Fly (by Mill Reef), dam of French Group III winner Fotitieng (by Nureyev) and second dam of Group III-placed Japanese stakes winner Dantsu Hotei.

Gay Missile, the dam of Lassie Dear, won the 1970 Ashland Stakes. She is a half sister to five other stakes winners including 1977 Arlington-Washington Futurity (USA-I) winner Sauce Boat (by Key to the Mint) and 1980 American leading sire Raja Baba (by Bold Ruler). She is also a half sister to 1991 Kentucky Broodmare of the Year Toll Booth (by Buckpasser) and to graded stakes producers Sooni (by Buckpasser) and Pennyworth (by Key to the Mint).